Key Aspects:
- Royal Caribbean is moving embarkation two hours earlier for Symphony of the Seas on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
- The expected nor’easter that will be impacting the northeastern US coast may bring winds of 30-40 miles per hour or greater to the region on Sunday.
- There are no itinerary changes confirmed for the ship yet, but the situation is fluid and such changes may be necessary.
It isn’t just hurricanes that can disrupt cruise itineraries. Guests eager to set sail aboard Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas are now learning that their embarkation has been moved up by two hours in anticipation of rough weather impacting the New Jersey homeport.
While the next cruise of the Oasis-class ship is not setting sail until Sunday, October 12, 2025, that is exactly when poor coastal weather may begin to have a significant impact on the northeastern Atlantic.
“Along with our Chief Meteorologist, Craig Setzer, we have been closely monitoring a developing coastal low-pressure system forecast to impact the port of Cape Liberty beginning on Sunday,” an alert sent to guests read. “Due to the deteriorating weather conditions, we will continue to monitor the ocean storm system and only depart once we deem it is safe to do so.”
While this may seem that Symphony of the Seas could be departing later than planned, the cruise line is taking steps that might enable an early departure.
“To ensure a smooth boarding process, please arrive two (2) hours earlier than your pre-selected arrival window! If you do not have an arrival time selected, please complete your online check-in via the Royal Caribbean app and plan to arrive at 12:00 PM,” the notice urged. “All guests should be checked-in and onboard by 12:30 PM.”
Original arrival times for the 7-night Bahamas cruise begin at 10:30 a.m., but now guests may arrive as early as 8:30 a.m.
Symphony of the Seas typically departs Cape Liberty at 3 p.m. With the new cruise terminal arrival schedule, it is possible the ship may set sail as early as 1 or 1:30 p.m.
This would mean the current sailing, another 7-night Bahamas itinerary, would need to arrive earlier than expected for debarkation. At the moment, the ship is underway at near her top cruising speed as she heads back toward New Jersey, having finished her port visits.
While an early arrival and departure is a drastic action, this could ensure the ship is underway and well out of the area before the worst of the nor’easter weather arrives later in the day.
According to the Weather Channel, winds are predicted to be 20-30 miles per hour in Bayonne on Sunday, with gusts possibly reaching 45 miles per hour or greater. Some weather forecasts are even predicting isolated gusts that could reach 60+ miles per hour.
A coastal flood watch is already planned from 8 a.m. Sunday morning until 6 p.m. Monday evening. This could also potentially impact guests driving to the cruise terminal.
No Itinerary Changes Yet
Royal Caribbean does acknowledge that the “situation is still evolving” and there may yet be further changes to the ship’s schedule. At the moment, however, there are no itinerary changes for the weeklong cruise.
Symphony of the Seas is scheduled to visit Port Canaveral on Tuesday, October 14, followed by Nassau on Wednesday, October 15 and Perfect Day at CocoCay on Thursday, October 16.
If the ship is significantly delayed leaving New Jersey, however, it may be necessary to adjust or even cancel one or more ports of call, depending on the length of the delay.
Read Also: What to Do Onboard a Cruise Ship in Bad Weather
Royal Caribbean will keep guests updated as any changes are confirmed. The primary consideration will always be safety, and the cruise line will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the ship, guests, and crew members are safe and as comfortable as possible no matter how rough the seas may get.
